Kochi: Police books Maradu flat builders

Thiruvananthapuram: Hours after the State Cabinet on Wednesday drew up a 90-day action plan to raze the Maradu apartments and prosecute the builders, Kochi police registered criminal cases against three of them and initiated proceedings to freeze their bank accounts.

The government has also decided to make the builders liable to pay for the buyers’ rehabilitation package to be implemented in three months.

Kochi additional police commissioner K.P. Philip said criminal cases were registered against the builders of H2O Holy Faith, Alpha Serene and Jain Coral Cove based on complaints filed by the flat owners. “They were charged with criminal breach of trust (Section 406) and cheating and dishonesty inducing delivery of property (Sec 420),” Mr Philip said.

Earlier, chief secretary Tom Jose told the Cabinet that there was no option but to comply with the SC direction to demolish the four apartments for violation of costal regulation zone norms and presented before it an action plan to raze them with a deadline of January 9. (The fifth project is yet to take off). The removal of the debris and making the site back to normal will commence on ...

January 10 and end by February 9. The action plan will be placed before the Supreme Court on Friday.

The chief secretary told the cabinet that if the flats were not demolished, more apartments which have been constructed in violation of rules will have to be razed. This was also explained in the report he submitted to the cabinet.

Even buildings which were given special exemption will face demolition. Though many buildings have sought relaxation in rules, under the present circumstances such requests cannot be accepted, he said.

Mr Jose explained the proceedings in the Supreme Court during the last hearing and said the government should seek three months’ time from the court for the demolition.

The cabinet was of the view that the builders should be brought to justice. The cabinet also decided to examine whether the pollution control rules had been violated and land encroached in the area.

It will also be examined whether the builders misguided and cheated the flat owners. In that case, they will be made to pay the compensation to the affected parties.

According to sources, the police directed the banks concerned to freeze over 50 accounts of the three builders by Wednesday evening. “Nearly 30 of them belong to the H2O Holy Faith builder. We’re taking the details of transactions between the builders and the apartment owners,” they said.

The Jains Coral Cove (122 flats) was built by Jain Housing and Construction Ltd, the H20 Holy Faith (90 flats) by Holy Faith Builders and Developers Pvt Ltd and the Alfa Serene (94 flats) by Alfa Ventures Private Ltd.

While Panangad police booked the builders of Alpha Serene and Jain Coral Cove, the case against H2O Holy Faith was lodged at Maradu police station.

However, the cops are yet to book the builders of Golden Kayaloram after the flat owners there refused to give any statement against him.

The cops refused to divulge the details of the complainants or the total number of complaints against the builders.

Demolition timeline: As per the timeline, the razing will begin on October 11 and end by January 9, 2020 in 90 days.  The site will be brought back to normal February 9 in 30 days.  

The eviction of flat dwellers will begin on September 29 and end on October 3. The same timeline is also given for the eviction of the residents from the nearby areas. Notices to the residents within one- km radius of the flats will be given on October 1 and will be completed by October 3. According to the technical report of IIT Chennai, 9,522 buildings are located within one km radius of the apartments.